Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-03-03


such time and refuse to believe her
story"
Yes" agreed Mrs. Blunt. "'Better
be cheated to the last than lose the
blessed hope of truth as some poet
says"
1t was few days after these aston
ishing events that Miss Betty lie Breton
returned from vacation at the mount
aims, without having heard OF the dis
aster that had overtaken the Fan
shawes. =
when l am married." she said, in
the enthusiasm of first acquaintance
with the mountains, II shall take my
wedding tour through the hills in a
buggy; it's just enchantment. Any
letter for me, Aunt EllenP Any
news?"
"News? Oh dear-yes--too much.
/ didn't write you because Ididn't want
to sadden your vacation. And you
and Aleck were always such friends !"
"Aleck!"
eyes. The Albatross has been lost
at sea, and the Fanshawes are just
heart-broken, and Louise is there with
them; it seems she was engaged to
Aleck privately; and her widows
weeds are very becoming. It's dread
full thing for her; but they say the
Squire has about the same as adopted
her, and that she'll have the lion's
share of Alexis money. She went in
on the Squire's own arm when the
funeral sermon was preached; it was
very touching. Why don't you say
something, Betty? always thought
you and Aleck were good friends; and
Louise
"What is there to sayp" Betty asked,
directly. There was an odd luster in
her eyes, but she was not crying; she
looked petrified.
"You might at least say you were
sorry"
"Sorryp Oh, yes y absently-"I
suppose"
why, Betty. haven't you any feel
ingP"
Il don't know. Perhaps not What
good would it do?"
"Aleck was such good friend to
you! Do you remember when he used
to come and help you with your Ger
manp / used to think he was little In
love with you, Betty; but it seems
was mistaken; and for the matter o.
that, it doesn't signify, now that he is
dead. Indeed, it's better for you as i
is; you are spared the sorrow. Why
Betty, are you sickP Is any thing thu
matterp'
Betty had risen with "a great cry, ant
was stretching out unavailing ARM
into space. HE is dead-Aleck-ant
he loved her, and she has right to he
sorrow; and p
1t was three months before Betty Ii
Breton was able to sit up. The neigh
bors said she had come home from TIN
mountains with malaria, and it wa
doubtful if she would ever get it out o
her system. Miss LIE Breton, her aunt
wisely said nothing; but when she say
Louise in her funeral garments driv
ing by in Squire Fanshawe's carriage
she wondered if Betty were not fla
more miserable. Betty herself won
dered why she did not die in that bit
ter season of despair. There seemed t
be nothing to detain her here; life ha
come to stand-still. 1t was not tina
Aleck had died; she could have born
that, perhaps, and sorrowed bravely
and yet have lived on. That woul
have been grief enough, to be sure
for one heart to bear; but she woul
still have possessed the tender assul
ance of his love to compensate he
She would not have lost him utterl,
she could have lived on, with the ce
tainty of meeting him unchanged ,
last, Just as she had existed throug
her tedious work-a-days, sure of b
companionship at their close-the OF
brightness in all her somber days, I'll
hours that were never absent from h,
thoughts, the hope that had carrie
her through all difficulties uncomplail
ingly. Now there was nothing for h,
to live for or to die for. 1t seemed
her that the bloom was stripped fro
the world. She could not reconci
|, herself to her changed condition
. nor adjust herself to the b
lief that Aleck had cared nothir
, for her through all the years TIL
had been to her like heaven on earth
that he had merely been passing Il
. time. She felt as if the solid earth h;
failed beneath her feet and her Ii
stretched out before her in dreary al
barren perspective. II she could on
be allowed to preserve the illusion tn
he loved her, wherever he might b
that would have sufficed for happines
/, would have gilded all the empty yea
that she must spend on earth witho
), the sun of his presence. But people
not die when they have nothing to Ii
. for. Betty's aunt trusted to time
mitigate the blow; she remember
that she herself once had lover w
5 deserted her, that she had cried h
: eyes out, and had given away all h
jewelry, and believed she was do
: with every thing; but ten years lat
$ he passed her window daily, bal
equity man from whom the g
n mour had fled. But she had forg,
ten that he had robbed her of the po
er of loving any one else, and that OF
4 er lovers had sighed in vain. VIII
u Betty first went out, and began to
e sumo her ordinary life as if nothi
> had happened, the Squire's family h
o gone abroad, and had taken Lou
y Turner with tn I'm to tighten the sha